Batman ground one
by Martha Cowling
Summary: This is a complete reimagining of batman. "But sir what about the boy" Alfred gasped. "I'm sorry Alfred but it's over if they find out it was me all of this will be gone," Thomas said while rummaging through his files. "But Master Bruce is so young, you never prepared for this so soon" Alfred paced the room.
1. Chapter 1

Crack crunch pop thud along with the ringing in his ears was all Bruce could hear in the toilets as Richard Grayson punched and kicked him down

"Get up Wayne" again a quick kick to the stomach caused a sharp sting of tingles to ripple throughout Bruce's body.

"What's a rich kid doing without some real lunch money," Richard said holding the much smaller boy by the ruff of his shirt.

Bruce was now dragged above the urinal and dropped. "can't believe it someone as powerful as a Wayne just drenched in my piss." another kick to Bruce this time in the groin "that's for my dad getting sacked you shit head"

Bruce passed out and came to later in the nurse's office.

He couldn't blame Richard ever since the Wayne family was murdered the stock market crashed,

All of Gotham's infrastructure was in ruins.

One bullet set the chain reaction of 41 billion dollars of debt as businesses no longer could supply the pensions and the insurance companies had no bank to call to except outside of Gotham.

Lex corp saw this thriving opportunity and took it for all they could.

Lex figured since everyone needed a face again he could give shitty deals to the entire city

Now that everyone is in some kind of debit or the rich have gone it's as if the city has reached a state of undead.

Yet even though all of this the Wayne family has 100 billion locked away even in state tax and the press let everyone know about it.

No one could look at Bruce without feeling anger or disappointment.

Everyone he knows family was either laid off or was having to leave to public education and their friends behind.

Mr fries everyone's favorite science teacher had to quit work to support his wife as they could no longer afford treatment. Worst part is Bruce found it all out in the headlines, even though lex was the shark eating everyone up it was the Wayne name that the media spun into flames.

"I've had enough of this Bruce.

You cannot seriously expect me to believe that you fell again and somehow broke 3 bones.

This is the final straw" said Alfred trying hard to be stern since he knew how much this would hurt the boy.

"But Alfred-" Bruce cried out.

"No Bruce I'm sick of it you will be homeschooled and that's final!" He parked at the boy.

"You are a Wayne Bruce before that meant something good and strong but now you are good as dead to this city, do you think it will stop at just this? Whichever one of the boys did this to you even if it was 12 boys there will only be more to hurt you" he knelt down to the boy washing his tears.

"We can afford the finest education for you one to one any subject any study it is ready and waiting," he said now adjusting Bruce's shirt.

"But what about my friends…" Bruce whimpered out.

"Bruce your friends were friends because of your father's connections, the slumber parties the birthdays while you sat and played the grown-ups was making business deals. But there is no business left bruce. Do you understand?" Alfred's heart sank realizing he had to tell the boy how this all works so young.

"Like falconry?" Bruce shrugged.

"How does he know about those meetings?" Alfred wondered in amazement.

"It's best to forget about that Bruce" Alfred got up and handed the boy to security making sure to ride home safe.


	2. Chapter 2

The training.

Bruce found himself wandering the mansion.

12 bedrooms

4 kitchens

3 theatre rooms

A 10 x 10 pool

And a woodworking station his father made in the hopes of spending more time with bruce.

They spent hours there for weeks on end.

His father first taught him how to make a chair.

The chair was made of pine and used copper screws to achieve an art deco look with the soft linen white and red cushions. By the end, it looked like a mix between a barbers chair and the electric chair so they passionately named it "the Sweeney cot."

About as subtle as a gunshot but still comfy.

Then there was the rocking horse that they didn't get to finish.

It's sitting in the corner headless one-legged and the weight makes it appear as if it's turning to the side, in all honesty, it's probably about to break the roll down to the winery latch…

Bruce was always frightened of the winery.

Pitch black with only light at the end of the room.

Truth be told it's actually a very easy walk no more than 30 seconds but those seconds feel like minutes in the dark void.

It always gave Bruce the feeling like something was waiting for him.

As if it was inevitable that going down there was going to happen but this time without his father even before the death of his parents he had this fear.

Sitting on the chair facing the stairways latch it keeps enticing him.

His legs stiff and still yet could break at any minute if he tried to stand.

Bruce couldn't help being entranced by the latch.

The latch wasn't anything special dusty rusty and musty was the best description, if not ugly then at least it was boring.

No, the real standout was the fact that the latch would be very easy to open from underneath.

Sure there is a lock for it but that's across the room from the dreaded latch.

If anyone was in there if anything could get in there it could be watching back at him still and maybe even as afraid of him as he is of it, I mean why else would the latch still be shut right?.

Bruce had now forgotten about the latch turning his attention to making another leg for his horse.

The tools needed were simple enough.

Since his rocking horse was already taking on a blue and red theme it was probably best to start a pattern with the legs.

Since the right leg is red Bruce made the other blue making a two-toned pied piper appearance.

While distracted sharpening the tools he heard a faint thud beneath his feet.

Looking around it became evident that nothing could have fallen around him but underneath.

Bruce had paused "it's not real"

Bruce maybe 14 but the imagination was still a powerful thing.

He wanted to leave the room but the big problem was the way to the winery was blocking his way to the door.

Either had to go around or over, and he most certainly wasn't ready for that trip.

A few minutes go by as Bruce sits there failing to calm himself when he hears the sound again.

The world was like stained glass at this point

Every color and detail was heightened.

His breathing is stronger yet slower.

The blood pumping in his ears faster and faster as that jelly sensation rose again in his feet.

This was it. He had to go down there.

If he left the room he would just be a coward, there are a million reasons surely that anything could have dropped so why run now?.

He stands over the latch mallet in hand

The blood thundering to his eardrum almost like a tribesman's beat.

Knelt down fingers sweaty the boy grabs the latch tightly "three two, two, two one" he swings it back with his left-hand right hand with the mallet held high.

His breathing was fast and rough but soon stopped seeing nothing was there but darkness.


End file.
